Railway draft appliance



Nov. 28, 1933. w. J. REGAN RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed July 10, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 28, 1933. w. J. REGAN RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed July 10, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll w M 4 M no 7% t h n m n Nov. 28, 1933. w. J. REGAN RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed July 10, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmn ll fi wmw gkw L H !W 7 4 mm J 7 7% 7 M. 2 I a 4 :74 5

' 1 III nu I 1 3 I l I gnwnto'b Patented Nov. 28, 1933 ear or ies RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE William J. Regan, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to The McConway & Torley Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 10, 1928. Serial No. 291,655

9 Claims.

My invention relates to railway draft appliances and is particularly concerned with the production of a lightweigh coupler of the radial type associated with a draft and buffing gear to which bufiing and pulling forces are always oomrnunicated in the direction of the axis of the gear.

The principal feature of the invention consists in mounting the draft gear upon the shank of the car coupler in advance of the tail pin or axis about which the coupler swings, the coupler being slotted at its rear end to receive the tail pin and being thereby slidably as well as rotatably mounted upon the car.

Other features of the invention relating to advantageous combinations of parts and details of construction will hereinafter appear and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a draft appliance constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on the line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail central sectional view, the draft bolt being in plan.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view, the tail pin and a portion of the draft bolt being in elevation.

Figure 5 is a rear end elevation of the construction shown in Figures 1 to i inclusive.

Figure 6 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figure '7 is a detail vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Figure 6, the followers and tail pin being in elevation.

Figure 8 is a rear end elevation of the modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a car coupler of the laterally swinging or radial type pivotally connected to the car upon which it is mounted through the intermediacy of a tail pin 2 and a pivot casting or anchor member 3. While a particular form of coupler head 4, knuckle 5 and locking mechanism 6 have been illustrated in the drawings it is to be understood that they are not material to the invention.

The shank l of the coupler has vertically spaced rearwardly extending arms or straps 8 cast integrally with the coupler head. They may be made of light section as they are subject to pulling or tension strains only, bufiing forces being transmitted from the coupler head independently of said arms. Upon their opposed inner faces the top and bottom members 3 of the coupler shank are formed with pulling shoulders 9 adapted to cooperate with a rear follower 10 mounted between the shank members 8 so as to be relatively slidable with respect thereto. During a bumng operation the follower 10 transmits the buffing shock to the anchor casting 3. To permit the follower thus to transmit buffing forces to the anchor casting in all laterally displaced positions the coupler may occupy the follower is curved upon its rear side and the anchor casting 3 is correspondingly curved, the latter preferably being formed for this purpose with vertically spaced horizontal members 11 having forward faces 12 curved concentric with the axis of the tail pin 2, and the follower 10 being provided with correspondingly curved rearwardly facing surfaces 13 for cooperating therewith. To the rear of the pulling shoulders 9 the arms 8 of the coupler shank are provided with vertically alined longitudinally extending slots 8a for receiving the pivot pin 2, the slots being of such length and so positioned with respect to the pulling shoulders 9 that the portion of each slot which is in advance of the pivot pin when the coupler is in normal position is slightly longer than the movement or travel of the draft and boiling spring 14 forming a part of the construction, while the clearance in the slots to the rear of the pivot pin 2 is slightly less than the spring movement.

The spring l l which is mounted between the arms of the coupler shank bears at its rear end against the follower l0 and at its forward end against the follower 15 secured to a draft bolt 16 passing through the spring. As a means for connecting the front follower 15 to the draft bolt these members are preferably provided with cooperating screw threads, as shown in Figures 3 and l. To guide the forward follower and preserve the alinement of the draft bolt 16 with respect to the shank of the coupler when the latter swings in either direction from its normal or central position, the coupler shank is provided adjacent the forward ends of its arms 8 with laterally disposed wal s 17 which extend rearwardly suiliciently far to overlap the forward follower 15 when the spring 16 is fully compressed in pull- The draft bolt 16 which extends throughthe follower 10 is fashioned to the rear of that follower with an enlargement 160; provided with a slot 18 for receiving the tail or pivot pin 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4 the pin 2 is normally positioned at the rear end of the slot in the draft bolt and the portion of said slot 18 in advance'of said bolt is as long as the portions of the slots 8 to the pivot or anchor casting 3.

of the coupler shank which extend forwardly of the bolt, thus providing the necessary clearance to relieve the draft bolt 16 from strain when the spring 14 is compressed by a buffing or pushing load.

The pivot pin 2 by which the coupler and draft gear are connected to the anchor casting 3 extends through corresponding vertically alined openings 19 in the horizontal members 11 of the pivot casting, the said bolt preferably being inserted from below and having at its upper end a nut 20 which bridges the slot 8a in the upper arm 8 of the coupler shank.

The device for anchoring the coupler and draft gear to the car body is preferably formed as an integral casting having an upper plate-like portion 21 suitably perforated to receive securing bolts or rivets and having laterally spaced downwardly extending webs 22 which diverge forwardly from the pivot pin 2 so as to afford clearance for the swinging movements of the coupler. The horizontal bars 11 against which the rear follower 10 of the draft gear is seated in buffing are integrally united at their ends to the depending Webs or flanges 22.

By extending the top and bottom slotted members 8 of the coupler shank rearwardly of the pulling shoulders 9 and the tail pin 2 means are provided for maintaining the rear of the coupler in proper relation to the draft bolt 16 while allowing the coupler to have both sliding and pivotal movements with respect to the pivot casting 3. By this means also when the pulling load is nearly equal to the capacity of the spring 14 the pivot pin 2 is placed in quadruple shear and the load is then divided between the coupler shank straps 8 and the draft bolt 16 due to the pivot pin coming in contact with the top and bottom shank straps at the rear ends of the slots 8a therein.

In assembling the coupler and draft gear shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive the front follower 15 is inserted in the shank of the coupler and seated upon the follower abutment wall 23 at the forward ends of the top and bottom straps 8 of the coupler shank. The spring 14 is then placed in position and the rear follower 10 is inserted from the side between the shank arms so as to bear against the corresponding stops or pulling shoulders 9. By means of a headed bolt inserted through the rear follower l0 and threaded into the forward follower 15, the spring is then compressed by pulling the forward follower rearwardly about an inch, after which a key, wedge or the like is temporarily inserted through an opening 24 provided for that purpose at the guard arm side in the shank of the coupler opposite the front follower. The bolt that has been employed to compress the spring 14 is then removed and the draft bolt 16 is inserted through the rear follower and screwed into the forward follower 15. The key or wedge that has been inserted in the opening 24 of the coupler shank to hold the spring temporarily compressed is then removed, leaving the coupler and draft gear ready for application As the tail pin 2 prevents the draft bolt 16 from unscrewing and as the forward follower cannot turn because of its engagement with the coupler shank, it is impossible for the coupler and draft gear to become accidentally disassembled.

When subjected to draft the shank arms 8 of the coupler acting through the rear follower stops or pulling shoulders 9 cause the spring 14 to be compressed against the front follower 15, which latter is held against the forward movement by the draft bolt 16. Pulling stresses are thus communicated to the tail pin 2 and thence to the pivot casting 3. When a bufiing force is applied to the coupler the wall 23 thereof which engages the forward follower 15 causes the latter to press .rearwardly against the spring is and the latter is compressed against the rear follower 19 which is then seated against the cross bars 11 of the anchor casting.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6, '7 and 8 pulling forces applied to the coupler are communicated to the anchor casting through a draft yoke instead of through a draft bolt. In this construction the shank of the coupler 25 is formed with up er and lower rearwardly extending arms or straps 25 provided at their rear ends with elongated slots 2'7 for receiving a pivot or tail pin 28 extending through corresponding vertically alined pivot openings 29 in the horizontal bars 30 of an anchor casting 31 adapted to be secured to the car body, the slots 2'7 preferably having the same length and relation to the tail pin as heretofore described in respect to the slots 3a and tail pin 2. Integrally connecting the shank arms 26 are a web or wall 32 forming a front follower stop and a web or wall 33 constituting a rear follower stop, each of these stops being centrally apertured as at 34 and 35 respectively to receive the corresponding stud or post of the adjacent follower. The yoke 36 by which draft foces are transmitted from the coupler to the pivot casting 31 is preferably in the form of a strap having horizontally spaced arms 37 which are received between the top and bottom arms 26 of the coupler shank, its rear end 38 being circularly curved to conform to the correspondingly curved forward surface 39 of the cross wall 40 of the anchor casting. This cross wall against which the rear end of the yoke bears in buffing is preferably reinforced by rearwardly extending marginal ribs or flanges el and it is curved concentric with the pivot pin.

Disposed between the arms 3'? of the yoke are. the draft and buffing spring l2, the rear follower l3 and the front follower at, the spring being interposed between the followers in the usual manner. The follower e3 is provided with a centrally disposed rearwardiy extending stud or post 45 which projects through the corresponding opening 35 in the follower stop wall 33 of the coupler shank and bears at its inner end against the forward face as of a filler member 47 rigidly secured between the yoke arms 3'? by means of rivets 48. This filler elhas a pivot opening 49 for receiving the tail pin 28, the opening being slightly larger than the diameter of the pivot pin so as to permit buffing strains to be delivered directly from the yoke to the cross wall 46 of the pivot casting, thereby relieving the tail pin 28 from shearing strains during a buffing operation.

lhe forward ends of the yoke arms 3". are bent inwardly or shouldered to overlap a block 50 which serves to maintain the forward ends of said arms in proper spaced relation, the spacer 50 being rigidly secured to the arms of the yoke by horizontally extending rivets 51. The front follower 44 normally engages the rear face of the spacer 50 and the post 52 with which this follower is provided extends through a corresponding opening 53 in the spacer as well as through the opening 34 in the front follower stop of the coupler shank, the post being of sufficient length to engage the transversely extending wall 54 or abutment connecting the forward ends, of the arms 26 to the coupler shank., c v

The coupler shank straps 26 and the yoke 36, being subject'to tension stress only, may be of comparatively light sections, the yoke preferably being made of wrought iron or rolled steel, v

To assemble this form of coupler and draft gear the rear follower 43, spring 42, front follower 44, spacer block 50 and'thefiller member '47 are positioned between the top and bottom straps26 of the coupler shank. Theforward ends of the yoke arms 37 are then sprung apart sufficiently to allow the yoke to pass over the parts placed between the arms26 of the shank, after whichthe front end of the yoke is closed against the sides of the forward filler block or spacer 50 and the latter as well asthe rear filler member 47 is riveted to the yoke. The coupler and draft gear as thus assembled may then be slidably and pivotally attached to the anchor casting 31 by means of the tail pin 28, which may be of the headless type and be retained in assembled position by means of a cotter 55 passing therethrough and through the lower pivot boss of the anchor casting.

In this form of construction pulling stress is transmitted to the rear follower 43 through the straps 26 of the coupler shank and the rear follower stop integral therewith. The forward movement of this follower thus induced causes the spring 42 to be compressed against the forward follower 44 which bears against the spacer 50 secured to the forward end of the yoke 36. The pulling stress thus communicated to the for- Ward end of the yoke is transmitted rearwardly through the yoke arms 37 to the rear filler block 47 and thence to the tail pin 28 carried by the anchor casting. When the coupler 25 is subjected to buffing the force is transmitted directly from the coupler head to the front follower 44, and thence through the spring 42 and rear follower 43 to the filler member 4'7 and the rear end of the yoke and from the latter finally to the cross wall or abutment 40 of the pivot casting 31.

The invention provides a construction consisting of few and comparatively light parts in which the draft and buifing gear is located in the shank of the coupler and forms an assemblage which may be fitted up complete and shipped or carried in stock for repairs as a unit. It will also be perceived that the invention provides simple and effective means for maintaining the draft gear in direct alinement with the draft and buffing shocks to which the coupler is subjected in any position it may occupy.

I claim:

1. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler having a shank provided with oppositely disposed slotted arms and having spaced shoulders forming follower stops, followers disposed between said arms, said followers being respectively adapted to cooperate with said shoulders, a spring interposed between the followers, and a draft bolt connected to one of said followers and extending through and slidable with respect to the other follower, said draft bolt being provided with a slot, a tail pin extending through the slots of said shank arms and through the slot of the draft bolt and means for maintaining said tail pin in assembled relation to the car.

2. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler having a head and a shank rigidly connected to said head, said shank being formed with upper and lower arms provided at their rear ends with elongated slots, a pivot casting having vertically spaced transverselyextending members interposed between said shank arms, a tail-pin extending through said transverse members and said slots, a draft bolt extending between said transverse members and having an enlarged head formed with a slot for receiving the tail pin, the coupler being provided with a plurality of follower stops, followers spaced longitudinally of the coupler for respectively cooperating with said stops, and a spring interposed between said followers, said draft bolt being connected to the forward follower and being slidable with respect to the rear follower, and thelatter being curved on its rear side to cooperate with correspondingly curved forward faces of the transverse members of said pivot casting, said coupler shank being provided adjacentthe forward ends of said arms with laterally spaced walls for guiding said forward follower, said Wallsextending rearwardly so as to overlap said forward follower when said spring is fully compressed in draft.

3. A railway draft appliance comprising a coupler having a head and a shankintegrally connected thereto, said shank being provided at its rear end with slotted portions adapted to receive a pivot pin and to transmit draft strains directly to the latter, said slotted portions and said pin constituting means whereby said coupler may be slidably and pivotally connected to a railway car, and draft and buffing means mounted upon said shank.

4. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler having a head and shank, said shank being provided with elongated slots for receiving a tail pin and being formed upon its interior with follower engaging shoulders, means including a tail pin for connecting the coupler to a railway car, said coupler being slidably and pivotally movable with respect to the tail pin, and draft and buiiing means mounted on said coupler in advance of said tail pin, said last named means including a plurality of followers for respectively cooperating with said shoulders and including a draft bolt which is movable rearwardly with the coupler in buffing, said draft bolt and one of said followers being connected to prevent relative longitudinal movement thereof.

5. A railway draft appliance comprising a coupler having a head and slotted shank, a tail pin extending through the slot of said shank and with respect to which said shank is slidably and 1 as to be fixed against longitudinal movement with respect thereto, and said means being adapted to communicate draft strains to, said mounting through the tail pin and being adapted to COlTl-' municate buffing strains to said mounting independently'of said tail pin, and said draft bolt being movable rearwardly with said coupler in buffing;

6. A railway draft appliance comprising a coupler having a head and shank which are integrally united, means for pivotally connecting said shank to a railway car, and draft'and bufiing gear carried by said coupler, said gear including spaced followers, a draft bolt limiting the separation of said followers and movable rearwardly with the coupler in buffing, and a spring interposed betweensaid followers, said coupler being provided with shoulders respectively adapted to followers.

'7. A railway draft appliance comprising a coupler having a head and a shank provided at its rear end with elongated slots closed at their rear ends, a tail'pin, means'for communicating stress from said tail pin to the car body, said tail pin extending through s'aidslots in thecoupler shank, and draft and buffing gear carried by the coupler, said gear being adapted to communicate draft strains to said pin and to communicate buihn'g stress to said means, and said slotted shank being adapted to engage the tail pin to communicate stress directly thereto at the end of the draft movement of said coupler.

8. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler having a head and shank which are rigidly connected, means rigidly connected to the car body for engaging and supporting therear end of said shank, means for slidably and pivotally comiecting the coupler to said supporting means, and means supported by said shank for resisting draft and buffing forces applied to the coupler,

said last named 'iiians including a draft bolt which is movable rearwardly with the coupler in bufllng.

9. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler having a head and shank, said shank being provided with elongated slots for receiving a tail pin and being formed upon its interior with follower engaging shoulders, means including a tail pin for connecting the coupler to a railway car, said coupler being slidable and pivotally movable with respect to the tail pin, and draft and bufl'mg means mounted on said coupler in advance of said tail pin, said last-named means including a plurality of followers for respectively cooperating with said shoulders and including a draft bolt which is provided at its rear end with a slot for receiving said tailpin to thereby enable it to move rearwardly with the coupler in buffing, said draft bolt and one of said followers being connected to prevent relative longitudinal movement thereof.

WILLIAM J. REGAN. 

